The present invention relates to a system, method, and apparatus for diagnostic imaging. More specifically, a stream of images is compared to a reference image of the diagnostic subject, and image frames with a level of similarity to the reference image are stored for use by a diagnostician in comparison with the reference image.
Imaging is used for diagnosis and analysis in various medical fields. In many such applications, a series of images of the diagnostic subject (e.g., a tooth, bone, tumor, or breast), typically including an initial baseline, or xe2x80x9creference,xe2x80x9d image and subsequent images, depict changes in a particular structure or structures. Similarities and differences between the baseline image and the later-acquired images are examined and interpreted to aid in the diagnosis or study.
A major difficulty with these tools for diagnosis is acquisition of the baseline and later-acquired images from (at least approximately) the same angle, rotation, and zoom/distance with the same lighting conditions and (especially when soft tissues are involved) locations of structures within the subject. Rigid frames have been used in attempts to fix the camera and subject in the same relative position for each image acquisition. Such frames, however, often result in significant discomfort for the patient and may still yield images that are not very well matched with the baseline image. Poorly matched images are, of course, less useful than well matched images for diagnosis and study.
There is thus a need for improved systems, methods, and apparatuses to acquire images for use in diagnosis and study.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a novel imaging system, method, or apparatus for medical diagnostic imaging. Another object is to provide a medical diagnostic imaging system, method, or apparatus that is easier to use than certain available systems. A still further object is to provide a system, method, or apparatus that yields time-series images with improved suitability for use in medical diagnostics and study.
One form of the present invention is a unique medical diagnostic imaging.
In another form of the present invention, a reference image is compared to a series of captured images from an image stream. The level of similarity between the reference image and the captured image is determined and used to decide whether to store the captured image for diagnostic use. In one embodiment of this form, all captured images with a level of correlation above a pre-determined level are stored. In another embodiment, the best n captured images are stored for diagnostic use. In some embodiments, the level of similarity is represented by a number, the similarity value. In some embodiments, the evaluation of the similarity between a captured image and the reference image is accomplished using analog techniques, while in other embodiments the level of similarity is determined using digital techniques.
Another form of the present invention is a method for collecting images for medical diagnostic use, wherein a reference image is compared with a captured image from an image stream to determine the level of similarity between the two images. Based on that level of similarity, a decision is made whether to retain or discard the captured image. In some embodiments, the reference image and the image stream are displayed together as the image stream is captured, for example, in side-by-side windows on a computer monitor. Other embodiments show the reference image and the image stream in the same window, wherein the lines from the two images are interlaced. In yet other embodiments, the difference image between the reference image and the image stream is displayed during capture. In still other embodiments, the shadow of one is placed over the other and displayed during capture.
In another form of the present invention, a system comprises data storage (containing a reference image of a diagnostic subject); an image stream of captured images showing the diagnostic subject; a processor, connected to the data storage, that receives the image stream; and a computer readable medium encoded with programming instructions executable by the processor to (1) calculate a similarity value for each captured image; and (2) determine whether to store the captured image based on its similarity value.
Other embodiments, forms, variations, objects, features, and applications may appear to those skilled in the art from the drawings and description contained herein.